Interpreter of Maladies by Jhumpa Lahiri

Jhumpa Lahiri gives a unique perspective on a family of American tourists in Interpreter of Maladies. Mr. Kapasi is a tour guide and translator at a doctors office. However, when he takes the Das family on a tour, he finds himself often diagnosing the maladies of the family. He comments several times on the families seemingly indifferent attitude towards each other. He notices symptoms in the parents such as bickering and having little contact with their children. He diagnoses this as the parents acting as if they were the children's siblings and "they were in charge of the children only for the day..." (Lahiri). However, the family's biggest malady centers around Mrs. Das's unhappiness. This unhappiness stems from her one-sided marriage. In her misery, Mrs. Das has an affair which produces Bobby, adding guilt to the complex emotions of Mrs. Das. Mrs. Das confesses all this to Kapasi, or internally diagnosis her as given up on life.

When the slip of paper containing his address flies away, Kapasi says nothing, despite his earlier fantasies. I believe this was because he realized his fantasy of Mrs. Das was just that, fiction. In reality, she was little more than a selfish, miserable women, searching for a way out.

Everyday Use by Alice Walker

In Everyday Use, author Alice Walker devotes much of the story to characterization. The reader is moved with sympathy as the back story of the mother and Maggie, their many hardships and heartbreaks. However,  a wholly different emotion is felt for the older sister, Dee. It is clear from the beginning Dee causes her mother heartache, as the mother compares their relationship to those of the reuniting families on television, and yearns for that moment with her daughter. Dee seems ashamed and ungrateful for her family's life. When Dee is finally introduced, it is clear is looks only at what can be gained, not the sentimental value. Her character invokes nothing but annoyance from the reader.

It is because of this annoyance that the mother's victory over the quilt situation seems so drastic to the reader. The quilts are important, they symbolize the way life has always been in the family. Dee wants something, Maggie gives in. Maggie seems resigned to the cycle, not even bothering to fight back. When the mother finally steps in and bestows Maggie with the quilts, she restores balance to the relationship, and puts the snobby older girl in her place!

Mr. Z by M. Carl Holman

M. Carl Holman's Mr. Z tells of a biracial man who shuns his heritage. The speaker first implies that Mr. Z is a minority, stating "his mother's skin was the sign of error" (Holman). He continues to allude to Mr. Z's ethnicity, and his reluctance to accept it. He states Mr. Z disowns classic African American culture, such as jazz and a diet of yams and cornbread. When Mr. Z marries a women who shuns her Jewish heritage, he uses a metaphor, calling them both chameleons for integrating themselves in a different culture.

The last paragraph of the poem displays amazing irony. When Mr. Z dies many people called him "One of the most distinguished members of his race" (Holman). I found this terribly ironic, because instead of mentioning his exemplary education, diet, or marriage, they instead merely commented on his race. Mr. Z worked all his life to expel himself from the African-American culture, but at the end of his life, that is still all people saw. However, I do not believe the author was rebuking Mr. Z for his tireless attempt to change himself. Rather, I believe the author is rebuking a society that encourages people to shun their ethnicity in favor of the majority.

Dream Deferred by Langston Hughes

In Langston Hughes' Dream Deferred, the speaker questions what happens to the dreams that are never fully lived. He begins the poem with a question, "What happens to a dream deferred" (Hughes). He then proceeds to attempt to answer this question, with several questions. This technique of not answering the question, but rather suggesting several alternate theories, allows the reader to decide for themselves.

Throughout the questions the speaker asks about the dream, there is always a simile. Each simile describes to the reader the agony of a dream wilting away to nothingness. However, the speakers final question lacks a simile. He simply asks, "Or does it explode?" (Hughes). The speaker felt no need to clarify it with a simile. Due to this, I believe he felt he could end the poem there, for he had discovered his answer.

Toad by Philip Larkin

In the poem Toad by Philip Larkin, the speaker expresses his disdain for work. He states an opinion that many would agree with, that the system of working one's life away is fruitless. However, what really captures the readers attention is the metaphors he uses to convey this idea. The first metaphor, a toad, is explicitly identified as work. He extends the metaphor, stating that he should not let work "squat on my life" (Larkin). He further compares work to a toad by speaking of its "sickening poison". It is clear the speaker despises work, and believes one can live with out, giving examples of those out-of-work people he knows that remain happy. However, the other toad, that squats inside the speaker, prevents him from quitting work. This toad refers to the man's inner greed. He describes it as heavy and cold, and it urges him to continue to work for the materials and privileges in life, whether it is work the sacrifice or not.

Perrine Poem Interpretation

              After reading Perrine's article on the interpretation of poetry, I have to say I could not have disagreed more with the author. To me, by its very definition, interpretation cannot be correct or incorrect. Interpretation is merely the reader's insight into the author's world. Just because 99% of the population interprets a poem one way, does not mean the other 1% is wrong in their interpretation. In fact, thinking outside the norm is encouraged in poetry. Students go through school encouraged to explore poetry, but few embrace poetry due to fear of not understand it. No reader should feel their understanding of a piece of literature is incorrect.  Perrine believes interpretation must be "the simplest or most economical of alternative ways of accounting for the facts." However, one could argue that assuming one interpretation is correct, simply because its the simplest or easiest, is not wise, but unimaginative and lazy. In reality, the simplest answer is not always the truth, and neither is it in the world of poetry. 

 Perrine often refers to an ink blot, stating poetry, unlike an ink blot, cannot be interpreted as anything the reader wants. This notion really struck me. If when one looks at an ink blot and sees a duck, and another sees a rabbit, who really has the authority to say which is correct? I believe that the reader, or in this case viewer, is the only one with that prerogative. If the background of the picture is better suited for a rabbit, by Perrine's standards this would mean the blot must be a rabbit. But who's to say it is not duck, lost in rabbit territory? Despite being less likely, it is not wrong. However, it is wrong for other's to judge any interpretation of poetry. 

       

Just hanging around.

The Great Gatsby: The End

F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby is filled with larger-than-life characters. The narrator, Nick, remains a static character, honest and loyal. Jordan implies he was dishonest with her, "I though you were rather an honest, straightforward person. I though it was your secret pride" (Fitzgerald, 177). However, I disagree with her. Nick was an open, honest narrater throughout the entire novel, to the reader and other characters. He broke up with Jordan, not because he was being dishonest about their relationship or his feelings, but rather because he was being honest and knew they were too different to work out.

The protagonist in the novel, Gatsby, wad definately a round character. At first he appears as a omniscient, aloof, mysterious figure. As Nick delves deeper into Gatsby's past, he discovers different sides of the man. He was self-made, new money, and was overly-concious about it. He was socially awkward, making nervous and lame attempts at conversation. But most surprising was his loyalty, because he went to the grave protecting Daisy's reputation, as any good hero should.

The Great Gatsby: Chapters VIII-IX

At the end of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, Nick confront Tom Buchanan. Nick has a lot of pent of rage he releases on Tom, obviously blaming Tom not only for Gatsby's death, but also for leaving. I was not surprise to find that Tom seemed unaffected by the fact that he indirectly caused Gatsby's death by telling Wilson. The wealthy in this story never seemed to bother with anything that does not affect them directly. For example, almost no one came to Gatsby's funeral. While he was alive however, they were more than happy to take advantage of his hospitality.

It soon become clear that Daisy never told Tom who was really driving the car that night, so Tom believed Gatsby got what he deserved for killing Myrtle.

"He ran over Myrtle like you'd run over a dog and never even stopped his car" (Fitzgerald, 178).

The situational irony is extreme here, because obviously Daisy was the hit-and-run driver, not Gatsby. However, only a few characters, and the reader, are given this information.It's also very tragic, because Gatsby's life was lost because he took the blame for one of Daisy's mistakes.

The Great Gatsby: Chapter VIII

In chapter eight of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, Gatsby's dead body is discovered. Fitzgerald foreshadows Gatsby's death almost to the point of be obvious. He states Gatsby's butler waited for a message long after there was anyone to give it to and that Nick disapproved of Gatsby from "beginning to end (Fitzgerald, 154). Statements like these strongly hint to Gatsby's death, but it was not until rereading the novel that I even picked up on them. These hints were woven so beautifully into the text that, while alluding to the future, they did little to spoil it for the reader. Fitzgerald uses beautiful figurative language in the chapter, even when describing Gatsby's death.

"A new world, material without being real, where poor ghosts, breathing dreams like air, drifted fortuitously about...like that ashen,fantastic figure gliding toward him through the amorphous trees" (Fitzgerald, 161).

As Nick begins imagining Gatsby's final moments, Fitzgerald uses great symbolism. He writes of going into the new world, most likely symbolizing an afterlife. A place where the spirits have dreams like people here have air would have been a heaven for Gatsby, who was at his core a dreamer. The ashen figure, a slightly cliched symbolism for death, gliding toward Gatsby was the reader's final clue to his untimely end.

The Great Gatsby: Chapter VII-VIII

In chapter eight of The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald reveals Gatsby's tragic flaw, he's living in the past. I believe it's obvious, with the events of chapter seven, that Daisy will not leave her husbend for Gatsby. Gatsby, however, is incapable of seeing this reality, and instead continues to insist their relationship is the same as it was five years previous. Deep down, he must have realized that even if she loved him, five years had passed, and nothing was the same. Daisy was married, had a child, and grown complacent in the life she chose to live. He want her to leave her husbend and child and live the life they should have lived had everything gone to plan. Unfortunately, Daisy lacked the courage and the drive to make such a major decision. This persistant denial ultimately lead to Gatsby's death. Nick advised Gatsby to get out of town, fearing retribution would fall on him for Mrs. Wilson's death. However, Gatsby "couldn't possibly leave Daisy until he knew what she was going to do" (Fitzgerald, 148). Had Gatsby accepted the reality of the situation and heeded Nick's advice, chance are he would not have been home when Mr. Wilson went looking for revenge.

The Great Gatsby: Chapter VII

In chapter seven of The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald describes the external conflict between Gatsby and Tom Buchanan over Daisy. Both affairs have come to light, yet Tom remains in competition with Gatsby for Daisy's hand. Before the arguement, Daisy seemed to have settled on Gatsby. She told him that she loved him, kissed him, and often tried to seperate from the group with him on this trip to town. All outward signs point to her prefering Gatsby to her husbend. However, this is not the case when the men break out in arguement. Simultaniously, the men's external conflict and Daisy's internal conflict combine. Although Daisy may prefer Gatsby, she lacks the independence and courage to actually leave her husbend, despite all his wrongdoings. When the men demand she speak up in the arguement, she remains unable to solve her internal conflict and expresses confusion. Daisy then states to Gatsby she "did love him (Tom) once-but I loved you too" (Fitzerald, 132). It is after this statement I realize Daisy will never leave her husbend for Gatsby. To leave her husbend, she would need tremendous will-power, and overpowering love for Gatsby, and an overwhelming disdain for her husbend. Unfortunately for Gatsby, she seems to be lacking in all three.

The Great Gatsby: Chapter VI-VII

Throughout the F. Scott Fitzgerald's novel The Great Gatsby, Nick describes a Doctor T.J. Eckleburg, whose eyes appear up in sky. Eckleburg most likely symbolizes some all-knowing figure, most likely God. His eyes appear as warning to Nick in chapter seven.

Doctor T.J. Eckleburg

"...I turned my head as though I had been warned of something behind. Over the ashheaps the giant eyes of Doctor T.J. Eckleburg kept thier vigil..." (Fitzgerald, 124).

The Doctor's warning definately foreshadowed the unfortunate turn of events. I find it interesting that Nick seems to be the only person to acknowledge Doctor Eckleburg. It's ironic that Nick is aware of the representation of God watching them, while the others are not. After all, Nick definately sins the least out of all. The fault can really be blame on none or all of the party. Although Daisy was the one driving, Jay allowed her to drive away after hitting Mrs. Wilson and to drive upset in the first place. Tom obviously was the reason she was so shaken up to begin with. In the end, it is not the reader, author, or even other character's right to judge. That right belongs firmly in the hands of a certain Doctor T.J. Eckleburg.

The Great Gatsby: Chapter VI

In chapter six of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, Gatsby tells an anecdote about how he came to be Jay Gatsby. This story gave the reader more backround on Gatsby, and revealed much about his character. Gatsby was not born into money, but rather was entranced by it and earned it in a way still unclear. Although he is now clearly wealthy, he still as a stigma of not being from a noteable high-class family. Gatsby clearly overcompensates for this stigma, wanting to be fully excepted into high-society. I believe this is the reason he is infatuated with Daisy. Daisy comes from an old family, and Gatsby wants to be fully inducted to high society by being accepted as one of their own and marrying into an old family.

In the anecdote, young Gatsby, formerly Gatz, happens upon a yacht, which to him symbolizes "all the beauty and glamour in the world" (Fitzgerald, 100). Undoubtably, Gatsby saw a yacht as the ultimate symbol of power. Despite many years and experience, adult Gatsby posses a similar mindset. Gatsby sees Daisy as the life he should have had. To him, she symbolizes ultimate happines, due to her wealth, status, and innocence.

The Great Gatsby: Chapter V-VI

Toward the end of chapter five in F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, Gatsby mentions a green light hanging on the Buchanans dock across the water. The light obviously held a great importance to Gatsby. I believe the green light symbolized the previous seperation of Gatsby and Daisy. To Gatsby, the space between his dwelling and the green light was the space between him and Daisy. This point is supported by Gatsby's refusal to visit or call upon Daisy, despite pining for her just a few house away. Instead, he throws lavish parties, hoping to draw her attention and for her to visit. However, Daisy, like the green light, remains firmly within her property. Gatsby was afraid to close the gap between he and Daisy and, as a consequence, Daisy and the green light remained forever out of reach. Gatsby began to equate the green light with Daisy, as something he would never reach.

"Possibly it had occurred to him that the colossal significance of that light had now vanished forever" (Fitzgerald, 93).

Now that he and Daisy have been reunited, Gatsby has realized that the importance of the green light has vanished, but has his infatuation with Daisy? Could this "love" simply be a case of wanting what one cannot have?

The Great Gatsby: Chapter V

By chapter five of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, Daisy and Jay's love has fully bloomed. They seemed to be in a relationship of some sorts, even kissing and declaring their love in front of Nick and Jordan. The reader is thoroughly convince of Gatsby's devotion to Daisy. I believe this is due to the writer's impressive diction. Fitzgerald also showcases the intensity of their love through his descriptive diction. He uses phrases such as "...he literally glowed" and "her unexpected joy" (Fitzgerald, 89). The author chose these words for a reason. He wants to communicate the strong love the characters have developed for each other, and does so using diction.

"He hadn't once ceased looking at Daisy, and I think he revalued everything in his house according to the measure of response it drew from her well-loved eyes" (Fitzgerald, 89).

Along with diction, Fitzgerald uses poetic phrases, such as the one above, to emphasize Gatsby's devotion to Daisy. I found this phrase to be one of the most romantic so far, due to diction such as "well-loved". Through choice diction, the author conveys to the reader the love Gatsby feels for Daisy.

The Great Gatsby: Chapter IV-V

In this section of The Great Gatsby, F. Scott Fitzgerald makes use of an awesome literary technique, flashbacks. Fitzgerald's flashback was unique, in that the narrator of the flashback was not in fact, usual narrator. Instead, Jordan Backer tells her tale as the first person narrator. I thought the use of the flashback was completely necessary and well-placed within the the novel. It allowed the reader to experience first-hand the events of the past, instead of having the story retold by the narrator years later. I also thought Fitzgerald's briefly switching the narration to Jordan gave the reader a unique oppertunity to glimpse the world from another character's eyes. For example, Jordan is able to explain to Nick (and the reader) unknown information regarding Gatsby and Daisy.Seeing Daisy through Jordan's eyes gives more characterization. For example, Jordan admits Daisy was "by far the most popular of all the young girls in Louisville (Fitzgerald, 73). This more popular and outgoing Daisy somewhat contradicts the slightly shy, introverted Daisy that Nick has come to know. Along with characterization, this flashback also reveals much of Gatsby's motivation throughout the novel, his love for Daisy.

The Great Gatsby: Chapter II

For this blog on F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby , I am focusing not on the writing, but the culture of the novel. The story takes place in the early 1920's, a time not unlike our own. Older people are always saying our generation has lost their moral compass. However, I argue The Great Gatsby is proof that the previous generation is just as depraved as the current. For example, Tom Buchanan's affair with Mrs. Wilson. Buchanan's affair seemed to be common knowledge. Buchanan even toted his mistress around Fifth Avenue.

"So Tom Buchanan and his girl and I went up together to New York" (Fitzgerald, 26).

That this act was hardly even controversial, and seemed to be generally acceptable as long as kept quiet, is shocking. Then there are the crazy house parties, in which drinking seemed to be the main entertainment. Mr. Gatsby's house parties are a free-for-all, tons of people drinking, partying, and then driving home! This book does not reveal a family-friendly and classy atmosphere that my grandparents are always trying to portray. So the next time your grandma comes in the room while your watching any reality show about people in Jersey, don't listen to her saying people in her day never did things like that. They most definately did.

The Great Gatsby: Chapter IV

In F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, one of the main characters is the mysterious Jay Gatsby. Gatsby seems to provoke much curiousity and gossip. Many of Gatsby's party guests repeated wild rumors about his sordid past. However, these stories merely revealed to the reader that no one really knew the truth about him. Gatsby symbolizes solitude, mystery, and wealth. This is emphasized by Fitzgerald's use of a motif. Character's often repeat the phrase "What Gatsby" (Fitzgerald, 77). Every time a character repeats this phrase, it reiterates the mystery that surrounds Mr. Gatsby.

Although the thrill of the mysterious Mr. Gatsby seems to have worn off on Nick, I remain enthralled by the character. Nick and Gatsby's outing together revealed Gatsby to be less of a god-like figure. Instead, he is revealed to be shy, awkward, and in need of Nick's assistance. These characteristics contradict the night-Gatsby, the powerful and allusive host. He is an enigma, and captivates me as a reader.

The Great Gatsby: Chapter III

Chapter III of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby introduces the famous Mr. Gatsby. Fitzgerald fills this chapter with excruciating detail of Gatsby's lavish party. He emphasizes the extravegance of the ordeal, obviously wishing to focus on the advantages of the wealthy in the 1920's. Despite the detailed and luxarious party, Nick's introduction to the host is anything but. Nick spent most the night trying and failing to meet the mysterious Gatsby. When he finally gives up on meeting his host, Gatsby strikes up a conversation with him. Nick was even unaware that the man he was speaking to was Gatsby until he introduced himself.

"For a moment he looked at me as if he failed to understand. 'I'm Gatsby,' he said suddenly" (Fitzgerald, 48).

The irony of the situation is not lost on the me. I had been eagerly anticipating Gatsby's intoduction, expecting some fancy, clandestine meeting. Instead, Nick meets Gatsby in a most informal way, and he isn't even revealed to be Gatsby until the middle of the conversation! Although I found the introduction of Mr. Gatsby somewhat anticlimatic, I appreciate the unpredictability of Fitzgerald's plot.

The Great Gatsby: Chapters I-II

Robert Duvall as Boo Radley

By chapter II of F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby, I am loving this story. Fitzgerald's style is inticing, always leaving the reader wanting just a little bit more. This is evident with the mysterious character, Gatsby. Despite being the character for which the book was named, little is known so far about the character. Instead, Fitzgerald teases the reader, casually mentioning the Gatsby quickly before a subject change. The character seems to be known by everyone besides the narrator, or at least gossiped about. He is often mentioned or spectated about in the midst of a story the narrator produces. Therefore, the reader has little chance to learn anything about the mystery figure, and plenty of time to wonder.

"When I looked once more for Gatsby he had vanished, and I was alone again in the unquiet darkness" ( Fitzgerald, 21).

This writing style reminds me greatly of Harper Lee's To Kill a Mockingbird, in particular, her famous character, Boo Radley. Like Gatsby, Boo is sometimes the main focus of the story, but is also often pushed aside during which time other event occur. Occasionally at the end of a chapter, Boo will be referenced to, before being pushed aside again. The same can be said for Fitzgerald's character, Gatsby. I love this writing style, because it makes the reader more interested in the story and compels them to keep reading.

The Great Gatsby: Chapter I

F. Scott Fitzgerald's The Great Gatsby immediately captures the reader's attention through the use of a first peson narrative and an epigraph. The first-person point of view is a welcome change from Wharton's third person point of view in The House of Mirth. Instead of reading of the character's thoughts and actions, the reader is subjected to the innermost feelings and emotions of the character himself as he tells the tale. This gives the reader a special insight into the story, and allows the author the use of more literary tools, such as  flashbacks and foreshadowing. For example, at the beginning of Fitzgerald's novel, the narrator uses a personal epigraph.

'"Whenever you feel like criticiszing any one," he told me, "just remember that all the people in this world haven't had the advantages that you've had"' (Fitzgerald, 1).

Judging by the placement and the summary, this quote accurately reflects the theme of the story. Epigraphs allow the reader a glimpse of how the story will proceed. Throughout the rest of the story, the reader will reflect and reference back to the meaningful quotation. An epigraph's goal, besides giving a hint to the theme, is to emphasize the moral or lesson the characters will learn. The fact that the the quote was from the narrator's father only emphasizes the personal connection the narrator has with the lesson the epigraph, and the author, is trying to convey.